Combining Deconstruction and Applique

So what do I do with the deconstructed fabrics?  I've been having an applique fest!  Here is my Hieroglyphics Quilt with lots of Egyptian motifs.  The background fabric is decon.  Never say never.  Before my Dear Jane "experience" I swore I would never do the "A" word - now I can't stop appliqueing. In fact, I'm about to take an advanced class with Sandra Leichner at the Greenville Inn in the Catskills (NY).

Hieroglyphics by Randy Keenan

Here are a couple of the motif's close up.

Book Arts Round-table Artist Book Show - NOW

I am part of an amazing group of artists that are inspired by making books. Not just ordinary books, but artist books that come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

Above is one of my submissions this year.  It is about the beauty of Rincon, Puerto Rico.  I visited this surfer/ex-pat paradise in February and I found it to be a magical place.

We are having a show right now at the Baird Center in South Orange, NJ.  If you would like to be blown away - come see the show.

Elaine Gongora                                Shari Seltzer                       Liz Demaree

           Lynne Buschman                               Karen McDermott                                     Joan Bess

Deconstruction Silk Screens - The actual screens painted and ready to print

These are snaps of the actual screens

I thought it might be interesting to compare the screen that has been painted with thickened dye to the fabric print.  So today's upload is a snap of 3 screens that are painted with thickened dye.  Then the plan is tomorrow (or whenever the cloth has been dyed, washed, and ironed) I will upload the printed cloth and then compare the two.  Just an experiment, but I am trying to be "mindful" about the process so I can learn.

Collagraph - Development of "Tubes"

The Development of "Tubes"

I sometimes use a photo for inspiration (1). I converted the snap into a line drawing to help me see the composition (2). Then I made up a plate (sealed mat board) with different kinds of tapes, crinkled aluminum foil, paper and glue lines (3).  This plate has been used, so some left over ink has colored the plate.  The fourth snap is of a print using only blue ink, while the fifth shot is a print with blues and yellows.

Please note I flipped 1,2, and 3 in Photoshop so you can clearly see the difference.

It is always a surprise what will come off of the print bed, even when using a photo! 

Deconstruction Fabrics - Samples of the Day

I have been delving into deconstruction thickened dye onto cloth these days.  If you don't know what that means - Kerr Grabowski introduced me to it and I will try to upload the link to a YouTube demo she video'd for you and you might find it interesting. If your are serious about learning about this process - you MUST buy her DVD - it is fabulous - as she is!

http://www.kerrgrabowski.com/theglove1.html

Composition created with thickened dye on a large silk screen and then released onto fabric.

A thistle image surrounded by greenery

A thermofax image drawn around with dye in a syringe

Fibermania

Fibermania

I lurk here every day!  Melody is creative, fun, and generous, what more could you ask for?

Some of my FAB Collages

I  love to collage - paper, words, fabrics, photography, digital - anything I can get my hands on. Above are a couple of my fabric collages.  They frequently start with a paper collage that I print on white fabric and then place on a hand-dyed base fabric. Then the play starts by cutting up other pieces of fabric to "extend" the original design  After it is all stitched down with machine stitching, I will embellish them with machine embroidery, hand stitching, and even some beads if I think the work calls for it.  Most of these pieces are about the size of a notebook page - 8.5" x 11". They are then bound and they all have a sleeve on the back that you can slip a chopstick in to hang them on the wall.  I love the way the work tells me what my sub conscience has been pondering.

Hello world, I have just opened my eyes to my new blog - give me strength!